Printing-machine.



C. BUTTERF|ELD.- PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, I9l5.

Patented June 20, 1916.

3SHEETSSHEET 1.

0. BUTTERFIELD.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 020.30.1915.

Patgmted June 20,- 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I 6 12 I flk\\. a1 2 84 fl/A Eig 5.

C. BUTTERFIELD. PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED n:c.3o. 191s.

Patented June 20,1916

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

CHARLES BUTTERFIELD, 0F NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Application filed December 30, 1915. Serial No. 69,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES BUTTERFIELD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Nottingham, in the county of the said city, England, have in- .vented new and useful Improvements in Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification. Y v

This invention relates to improvements in and applicable to platen printing machines fitted with a stationary or oscillating type bed and with a platen which oscillates upon a shaft carried in fixed or movable bearings and in which the impression is thrown on or off by an eccentric impression shaft or by wedges.

The present invention has for its object the application to and the combination with platen printing machines of the types herein referred to of a feeler mechanism the action of which is controlled by the sheet fed to the platen and which controls the action of the impression mechanism.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a part side sectional elevation of one type of platen printing machine showing the application thereto of the feeler mechanism. Fig. 2 is a part plan of the machine on the line A.A. Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the action of the feeler mechanism. Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views illustrating the action of an alternative form of. feeler mechanism. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View ofa feeler mechanism provided with a spring claw. Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a mechanism for positively moving to its on and ofl positions an eccentric impression shaft carried in stationary bearings. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of a mechanism for positively moving to its on and off positions an eccentric impression. shaft carried by an oscillating part of. the machine. Fig. 11 is an end elevation of a mechanism for positively moving to its on and off positions an eccentric impression shaft which moves to and from the type bed and upon or with which the platen oscillates, and, Fig. 12 is a plan of a mechanism for operating a wedge impression mechanism.

In the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there is a stationary type bed 1 and an oscillating platen 2. This latter is adjustably mounted upon arms 3 and 4 which form part of a platen frame and these arms are fitted to oscillate upon a shaft 5 provided ing constructed, arranged and operated as 1s usual in this type of machine, the platen .being moved from the feeding position,

shown-in dotted lines, to the printing position, parallel with the face of the type bed.

For the purpose of this invention the ma chine is fitted with two or more light inclined fingers 8, Figs. 3 to 8, which are attached to an arm-9 and this arm is adjustably mounted upon a bar 10, Fig. 2, at one side of the platen so that the position of the fingers8 can be adjusted according to the position of the sheet a: to be printed. The free ends of the fingers rest upon the surface of the platen and their other ends are attached near the upper face of the arm 9, the thickness of which is less than the thickness of the sheet feeding stops 11.

Working in conjunction with the fingers 8 there is one or more spring claws 12 mounted upon an arm 13 which is adjustably attached to a frame 14 fitted toslide upon a rod 15 carried by brackets 16and 17 fixed to the edge of the platen. At each movement of the platen toward its feeding position the frame 14 is moved toward the upper edge of the platen by means of a lever 18 which is pivotally mounted upon the platen arm 3 and is actuated by its truck 19 coming into contact with a cam 20 fixed upon one of the standards? On the return movement of the platen toward the type bed the truck 19 passes beyond the cam 20 and the frame 14 then falls by its own weight or under the influence of'a spring 21 and the lever 18 rests upona stop 22, Fig. 1. The frame 14 is also provided with a stud 23 which engages with a slotted cam 24 fixed to the platen, these parts being so arranged that when the frame rises it is turned about the rod 15 to raise the arm 13 and the claws 12 and so that the claws are lowered as the frame falls. The shaft 5 is fitted with a collar 25 which has upon it a tooth 26 and in connection therewith there is a pawl 27 which is pivotally mounted upon the cross bar 28 and by the spring 29 is normally held in a position to clear the tooth 26 as it oscillates with the platen. Mounted upon a cross shaft 30, which has its bearings in the arms 3 and 4, there are two levers 31 and 32 which engagewith the pawl 27 and the frame 14 respectively. When therefore the frame 14 falls the pawl 27 engages with moves to its printing position and during such movement the frame 14 descends and the claws 12 are turned to rest upon the sheet over the fingers 8. guided on to the arm 9 and fall to their lowest position Fig. 4 whereby the pawl 27 is moved to engage with the tooth 26 and the shaft 5 thereby turned to its impression on position. If however the sheet is not fed to its correct position the claws 12 engage with the edge of the arm 9, Fig. 5, and the frame is held up and consequently the pawl 27 misses the tooth 26 and the shaft 5 is held in its impression off position by the spring 33 which also returns the shaft to its off position after each impression taken.

In the modified feeler mechanism shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the inclined fingers 8 are bent and shaped toslide in grooves in the as shown in Fig. 7. In the arrangement pensed with.

shown in Fig. 8 the claw 35 is attached to the arm 13 by a long spring 36. and the oscillating movement of the frame 14 is then dis- The spring 36 is provided with a projection 37 which slides up the lower edge of arm 9 and holds the claw 35 in its highest position during the feeding of the sheet a and when the arm 13 descends the claw 35 falls into contact with the sheet and is guided on to the topof the arm 9 or it engages with'the edge of the arm9 and stops the downward movement of the frame 14.

r The spring claw arrangement shown in Fig.

For this purpose one of the'eccentric ends 39 is fitted with a pair of levers 40 and 41 which are free to rotate around such shaft end and are fitted with pawls 42 and 43. The levers are connected by links 44 and 45 The claws are thus to a positively operated lever 46 and the pawls 42 and 43 are connected together by a link 47. Fixed upon the shaft 38 there is a double ended toothed lever 48 and the pawls 42 and 43 are so weighted or spring actuated that the pawl 42 is normally clear of the toothed lever 48. The action of the pawls 42 and 43 is controlled by the frame 14 on the platen 2, either directly or through suitable connections and when a sheet has been fed to its printing position and the frame 14 falls, the pawl 42 is depressed and engages with the upper end of the lever 48 and the shaft 38 is turned to its impression on position, but if the frame 14 is held from falling the pawl 43 engages the lower end of the lever 48 and the shaft 38 is then turned to its impression ofl' position.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 10 the eccentric impression shaft 49 has hearings in an oscillating type bed 50 and the eccentric ends 51 of the shaft have bearings in the actuating links. For the purpose of this invention the shaft 49 is fitted with a double armed lever 52. Pivotally attached to the ends of the lever 52 there are rods 53 and 54 the free ends of which slide in bearings 55 which are rotatable by the action of the rods 53 and 54 in the standard 56. Fitted to oscillate on a horizontal axle 57 carried in a bearing on the standard 56 is a lever 58 the upper or lower ends of which can be moved into the path of the ends of the rods 53 and 54 respectively. The position of the lever 58 is controlled by an incline on the frame 14 at the side of the platen 2. When a sheet is fed to its printing position on the platen the upper end of the lever 58 is moved into the path of the rod 53 and the shaft 49 is thenturned to its impression on position but if the sheet is not properly fed then the shaft 49 is turned to its impression off position through the rod 54, a spring moving the lever 58 into the path of the rod 54.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 11 illustrates the application of this invention to the heavy type of platen machine in which the platen 2 rolls upon horizontal bearing surfaces on the standard as it is moved to and from the type bed by the actuating links. In these machines the ends of the platen shaft 60 are fitted with eccentric bushes 61 which have bearings on the actuating links and are carried by arms 62 which are connected together by a cross bar 63. According to this invention the arms 62 are fitted with an adjustable tooth 66, and the platen is provided with spring actuated pawls 67, and the'arm 62 at one side of the machine carries a truck 64 which works in conjunction with a fixed cam 65, these parts being so designed that as the platen moves to its feeding position the eccentrics 61 are turned to their impression off position. The feeler slide 14 is fitted with an incline or cam 68 and when the sheet is fed to its correct position and the slide 1 1 falls the pawl 67 is moved to engage with the tooth 66 whereby the platen 2 is coupled to the eccentrics 61 and the continued rotation of the platen turns the eccentrics to their impression on position, and these eccentrics are turned to their impression ofi position through the truck 64- and cam 65 during the backward movement of the platen.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 12 the wedge impression mechanism of any usual type is operated by a link 69 which is actuated by a crank pin on the toothed wheel 70. Gearing with the wheel 70 there are toothed quadrants 71 and 72 mounted upon an axle 7 3, such quadrants and the wheel being carried by the oscillating platen 2. Mounted upon a fiXed support 7 9 there are two claws 74 and 7 5 which are designed to engage with lugs 7 6 and 77 on the quadrants 71 and 72. The claws are connected together by a link 78 and there is a spring 80 by which the claw is normally held in position to engage with the lug 77 and hold or move the impression wedges in their off position. The feeler slide 14 is fitted with a wedge 81 and when a sheet is fed to its correct position this wedge moves the claw 74 into position to engage with the lug 7 6 and by thus arresting the motion of the quadrant 71 relatively to the wheel 70, which moves with the platen, the wheel 7 0 is rotated and the im pression wedges thereby moved to their on position.

I claim 1. In a platen printing machine the combination of the platen, a feeler mechanism upon the platen, arranged to be controlled by the presence or the absence of the paper sheet thereon, an impression mechanism and connections between the feeler mechanism and the impression mechanism substantially as herein described.

2. In a platen printing machine the combination of the platen, inclined fingers carried by the platen, claws coacting with the inclined fingers, a sliding frame carrying the claws, an impression mechanism and connections between the sliding frame and the impression mechanism substantially as herein described.

3. In a platen printing machine the combination of the platen, stops for determining the position of the sheets of paper fed to the platen, a feeler mechanism upon the platen and adjustable relative thereto so the position thereof may have definite relation to the positions of the sheet stops, an eccentric impression shaft mechanism and connections between the feeler mechanism and the impression mechanism substantially as herein described.

4. In a platen printing machine the combination of the platen, inclined fingers carried by the platen, claws coacting with the inclined fingers, a sliding frame carrying the claws, an eccentric shaft impression mechanism and connections between the sliding frame and the impression mechanism substantially as herein described.

5. In a platen printing machine the combination of the platen, inclined fingers carried by the platen, claws coacting with the inclined fingers, claw carrying frame fitted to slide and rock, an eccentric shaft impression mechanism and connections between the claw carrying frame and the impression mechanism substantially as herein described.

6. In a platen printing machine the combination of the platen, inclined fingers carried by the platen, claws coacting with the inclined fingers, a frame carrying such claws, means for sliding the frame, means for rocking the frame, an eccentric impression shaft, and means controlled by the said sliding frame for turning the eccentric shaft substantially as herein described.

7 In a platen printing machine, the combination of a platen, means for throwing the platen either on to or olf from impression position, means supported on the platen and adapted to be engaged by the sheets of paper fed thereto, an adjustable support carrying the said paper-engaging means, a claw arranged to move freely over the said support when a sheet is properly fed upon the platen and to be arrested thereby as it moves over the support whenever a sheet is not properly fed to the platen, a frame carrying the said claw and supported so as to be movable to carry the claw across the said support in one direction as the platen approaches impression position, means to move the frame and carry it across the said support in the opposite direction and at the same time to move it away from the platen as the platen moves to feeding position, and means controlled by the said frame for controlling the operation of the platen impression devices.

8. In a platen printing machine, the combination of a platen, means for controlling the impression, movable feeler devices supported on the face of the platen and arranged to have their movements controlled by the presence or absence of sheets of paper properly fed to the platen, means for arresting the movements of the said feeler devices whenever a sheet of paper is not properly fed to the platen, and means controlled by the feeler mechanism for controlling the said impression means.

9. In a platen printing machine, the combination of a platen, inclined fingers carried by the platen, claws co-acting' with the fingers and arranged to be arrested thereby whenever a sheet is not properly fed to the platen, an arm carrying the claws, a sliding frame by which the arm is carried, freely til movable in one direction, a lever carried by and means operated by the said sliding the frame supporting the platen and arframe for controlling the impression-con- 1'3 ranged to mov? the said sliding friame so as trolling means.

to carry the e aWs across the sai incline fingers as the platen moves to feeding posi- OIYIARLES BUTTERFIELD' tion, a fixed cam by Which the lever is aetu- Witnesses:

ated for moving the claw-carrying frame, WILLIAM A. PoLLER, impression-controlling means for the platen, RAYMOND W. CRAGG.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five ee'ntm each, by addressing the Commitsioner of E'etents.

Washington, D. 0. 

